Student Review

The Vacation Scheme was truly one of the best work experiences I have ever had in my life - on hindsight I could hardly believe that I had learned so much whilst also simultaneously enjoying myself within such a short span of time. Importantly, it was a genuine opportunity for me to experience first-hand the unique culture of the firm, and the best part was being able to simply approach anyone I met in the firm and having a chat with them to find out more about their experience both in the firm and beyond (they were all that friendly!). The frequent socials that we had also ensured that we always had some thing to look forward to at the end of the day. It was effective networking as it allowed us to both engage in conversations with trainees in a more relaxed setting as well as to forge stronger bonds with our fellow vacation schemers over good food and lots of wine!

I was surprised by how much I was made to feel valued at the firm, even as a mere undergraduate with little practical experience in the legal world. My work was taken seriously, and genuine and targeted feedback was promptly given for any piece of assignment that I did for my mentors. What struck me the most was that one of my mentors constantly gave me 'real' work, i.e. letting me in on the actual substance of the work he was doing, instead of simply carving out a less important aspect of his work and giving that to me for the sake of doing so. Undeniably, the work was challenging, but it was also the best part because it allowed me to feel a sense of ownership for my own work, being empowered to make real contribution, and therefore enhancing the sense of satisfaction that I felt when some aspects of my research was actually incorporated into the client memorandum. Needless to say, the feedback given was even more valuable.

I was constantly being reminded of the various networks of support that I had - from a personal trainee buddy to whom I could ask any questions at all, to a personal senior associate whom I share an office with, as well as a designated graduate recruitment member who would check on my progress regularly. Strikingly, however, was the fact that much of the guidance and support I received came from people in the firm who had no obligations to help me at all; I met so many kind and approachable trainees who would offer me words of advice and encouragement that I hardly had the opportunity to ask for help - someone always beats me to it by offering help first.

I believe the many transferable skills that I have acquired from this experience, such as the ability to deal with complex technical knowledge and to tailor my form of communication to suit my audience and purpose, will be helpful in my degree studies and beyond. Importantly, this vacation scheme has provided a context to my studies, and I believe this will spur me to continuously try to draw links between academia and legal practice in my final year of study, thus making law an even more exciting and meaningful area of life for me to explore and try to make sense of.

The vacation scheme was very well structured, with important projects, presentations and the interview well spread out. The firm was also probably one of the only one that provided a month-long vacation scheme experience, whereas it would only be two weeks for most other firms in the City. I felt that a month long was just the right amount of time for me to get to know the firm on a more-than-surface level, and the opportunity to have sat in two different departments during the four weeks was also greatly valued.

The atmosphere was friendly (I can't emphasis this enough) and educational but also had a light and humorous touch to it. Everyone I met during the scheme was unbelievably nice, friendly and funny; it almost didn't feel like a law firm at times. Even at their busiest periods, the lawyers I met always remained patient and friendly, and was never irritable or dismissive of anyone (not just me) they met.

The various practice area talks, and the time taken by partners to give us (and listen to our) presentations were strong testaments that the firm really did invest its resources in providing the best vacation scheme experience it could. The graduate recruitment team also had everyone's feedback from the vacation scheme interview on record, which was duly given to us before our final interview.

The insight enabled me to witness first hand the kind of high-value and cross-border nature of the work that lawyers in the firm received, as well as how it had to be balanced out with the day-to-day administrative tasks or other obligations that he/she had. I derived that time management and self-motivation were some of the most valuable skills a lawyer working in the City must have.

The people I met were the biggest contributors to my experience of the firm's culture. The opportunity to sit in two different departments also allowed me to realise that although the same firm, each department may have its own culture, including the style and pace of work as well as the sense of humour!

The presentations given by partners allowed me to learn about both the short and long term strategies of the firm, and therefrom to reflect and ask myself whether my values and aspirations aligned with the direction that the firm is headed.

The various social events that we had allowed us to network effectively with lawyers from the firm in a more relaxed setting, whilst the collaborative working style of the firm also enabled me to meet other lawyers working in the same team.

The social events are really fun, but for introverts, they can get quite taxing especially given its frequency (two times a week) and after a long day at work. However, I do think it got better as time passes and as one forges stronger friendships with the other vacation schemers.

I found out about the various initiatives of the firm outside of work through presentations by partners as well as one to one chats with trainees who were directly involved in the various pro bono programs.

Definitely. It really is the best way to get to know whether you are a right fit for the firm, the importance of which I believe has been stressed umpteen times by industry veterans, and surely not without reason!